Champion is afraid of Losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning
November 19, 2008
“A Champion is afraid of Losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning”.Billie Jean King
I found this quote a couple of years ago and now I keep it tacked on my bulletin board.There was a time I didn’t really understand what Ms. King meant by this quote. I thought, “How can anyone be afraid of winning?”After all, isn’t that the American way?So imagine my surprise when I recently met two colleagues at a local networking event who admitted they were afraid.
You see for about a month I’ve been speaking on topics such as The Four Secrets of Successful People and Inspiring Change.In both speeches a key to success is understanding how your thinking acts as a catalyst for your personal results. So imagine my astonishment when my colleague confessed being afraid to take an assessment that provides insights into the mechanics of how one thinks!
On the other hand, I was delighted to hear this comment. Why? Because about 300+ people have heard me speak and were given the opportunity to take the assessment for free. But less than 5% have actually taken me up on this incredible free offer. So I’ve been truly perplexed as to why more people aren’t beating down my door to take the assessment and find out what’s holding them back from achieving their goals.
So after hearing he was afraid my mind started racing.I thought, “What could I have done to provoke this kind of fear?” So I mustered up the courage and said, “What’s that fear about?” “The assessment takes 15 minutes plus I’ll help you understand how to use the information to create a winning plan”. “Others who’ve taken it have told me, “This is an amazing offer!”
My colleague said, “I know all that and I believe it. But I’m afraid if I take the assessment, I’ll find out I’m in the wrong profession.I’ll find out I’m not doing what I’m supposed to do.” Then what!?!
WOW! There it was! The fear that prevents us from winning. I nodded and others listening to our conversation began to echo the same sentiment. I vowed to call him and promised my support on his journey to a winning professional life.
For me, the best thing I can do is get my fears out in the open. The light of day somehow diminishes their affect on me. A champion understands how their mind evaluates and interprets experiences. The mind of a champion is focused on what it takes to continually get better results. A champion is not afraid of changing when what they’ve been doing won’t get or keep that competitive edge.
So are you living your life like a champion afraid of losing or everyone else afraid of winning?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on how do you stay focused on continually getting better results.
